This invention relates to retractable flexible screens for doors, such as sliding glass patio doors.
Retractable screens for doors and windows have been available for years and many variations are currently on the market. These screens typically include a frame that may be added on to an existing doorway or window, either on the interior or the exterior. The screen material is generally flexible and is wound up about a roller at one side of the opening. The frame usually includes tracks formed from profiled aluminum extrusions along which the screen material is passed during the opening and closing of the screen. Some versions are self-closing, including spring or pulley systems for power, and some are motorized for remote and/or automatic operation.
Although plentiful, the currently available add-on retractable screens are limited in many respects. For example, because the screen is added on to an existing door or window, it must conform to the available door or window frame in order to provide a sealed unit. Adaptation to meet the variances in the existing frame is difficult and may be limited by the provided frame of the screen. In addition, sealing of the flexible screen material relative to the frame, in order to keep out dirt, bugs and other debris, can be difficult, especially at the roller mechanism or on the outer edges. Further, these add-on screens normally are provided in only a limited number of colors that are coated onto the aluminum. Although on the exterior, colored aluminum may conform to storm windows, aluminum siding or other exterior features of the house, on the interior, colored aluminum may be an eye-sore or may not fit in with the interior dxc3xa9cor of the house or building.
The retractable screen door of the present invention provides component features that improve adjustability with respect to the frame for ease on installation and maintenance, better sealing and an aesthetically pleasing look for interior installation. A retractable flexible screen is provided to be installed to a frame of a fenestration product with the frame having first and second pairs of frame members bounding the fenestration product. The flexible screen includes flexible screen material and a roller system upon which the flexible screen material is unwound and wound during extension and retraction, respectively. The roller system extends across a length of the opening from one of the first pair of frame members to an opposite one of the first pair of frame members with the flexible screen material extending toward one of the second pair of frame members as a closing member. A pair of mounting brackets, each attachable to one of the first pair of frame members, are also included. The roller system mounts to the pair of mounting brackets at each end. A control bar is connected to the flexible screen material at a first edge, and first and second tracks are provided, each mountable to one of the first pair of frame members adjacent to the roller between the roller and the closing member toward which the flexible screen material extends. The first and second tracks are each coupled to the control bar at an opposite end, such that the control bar moves back and forth along the first and second tracks from the roller system to the closing member.
A gripper system is optionally provided coupled to the pair of tracks. The gripper system is adapted to hold the flexible screen material securely at the pair of tracks when the flexible screen is extended across the opening in the closed position. The gripper system includes a gripper mechanism and a triggering mechanism, the gripper mechanism configured to grip the flexible screen material against each track upon activation by the triggering mechanism.
A spring tensioning system is also optionally provided external to the roller system for adjusting a spring tension of the roller system. The spring tensioning system is preferably accessible after installation of the flexible screen to the door frame. The spring tensioning system includes an adjustable bracket assembly provided as one of the pair of mounting brackets.